A devastating tragedy in Alabama’s foster care system has sparked a wrongful death lawsuit after 3-year-old Ke’Torrius “KJ” Starkes died locked inside a state contractor’s vehicle for five hours, exposing critical gaps in child protection protocols and raising questions about accountability in government-contracted services.
Five Hours of Horror in a Deadly Vehicle
On July 22, what should have been a routine supervised visit between KJ and his father became a nightmare that would claim the toddler’s life. State contractor Kela Stanford, 54, was responsible for transporting the 3-year-old from his supervised visit back to daycare—a journey that never happened.
Instead, according to the wrongful death lawsuit filed by KJ’s mother Ethanlynn Stewart, Stanford made multiple stops while leaving the child strapped in his car seat. The complaint alleges she drove to a grocery store, went shopping, then drove home to put away groceries—each time leaving KJ locked inside her vehicle.
Stanford allegedly stopped at a tobacco store before returning home around 12:30 p.m., where she remained for the next five hours while KJ sat trapped just feet away in her parked car.
“It Was a Brutal Death”
As temperatures soared with a heat index exceeding 105 degrees that day, conditions inside Stanford’s black-tinted vehicle became lethal. Attorney G. Courtney French, representing KJ’s mother, told media that interior temperatures could have reached over 140 degrees.
“It was a brutal death,” French stated during a Friday news conference.
At 5:30 p.m., Stanford received a call questioning why KJ had not been returned to daycare. Only then did she rush to her vehicle, where she discovered the boy still wearing his seatbelt but sitting lifeless in the backseat.
Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service pronounced KJ dead at the scene at 6:03 p.m.
Complex Web of State Contractor Liability
The wrongful death lawsuit names eight defendants, including Stanford, her employer Covenant Services Inc., and multiple employees from both the Alabama Department of Human Resources and Jefferson County Department of Human Resources.
Stanford worked for Covenant Services, a private company contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources to provide transportation services for children in the state’s foster care system. This arrangement creates a complex liability framework where both the contractor and the state agencies could face responsibility for KJ’s death.
Criminal Charges Follow Civil Litigation
On August 1, the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office issued a warrant against Stanford for “Leaving a Child Unattended in a Motor Vehicle,” a felony carrying a potential sentence of two to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Stanford was arrested the same day by Birmingham Police Department officers and later released after posting bail. The Alabama Department of Human Resources confirmed that Stanford’s employer terminated her following the incident.
Foster Care System Accountability Questions
This tragedy raises critical questions about oversight and accountability within Alabama’s foster care system, particularly regarding contracted services.
Child welfare cases involving state contractors present unique liability challenges.
Key accountability issues include:
- Contractor Training and Supervision: What training did Stanford receive regarding child safety protocols?
- System Monitoring: How did multiple state and county employees fail to realize for over five hours that KJ had not been returned to daycare?
- Emergency Protocols: What backup systems should have been in place to detect when child transportation failed to occur?
- Background Screening: What vetting processes exist for contractors entrusted with vulnerable children’s lives?
Each of these systemic failures must be thoroughly examined to prevent similar tragedies and ensure that Alabama’s most vulnerable children receive the protection they deserve.
Understanding Wrongful Death Claims for Children
Wrongful death lawsuits involving children present unique challenges. Unlike adult cases focusing on lost earning capacity, child wrongful death claims address different damages:
- Loss of companionship and parent-child relationship.
- Grief and mental anguish for surviving family members.
- Funeral and medical expenses.
- Punitive damages in cases involving gross negligence.
These damages reflect the profound impact of losing a child and the need for accountability when preventable deaths occur due to negligence.
The Role of Government Contractors in Child Protection
This case highlights the increasingly common practice of government agencies contracting with private companies for essential services. When government contractors are entrusted with vulnerable populations—particularly children in foster care—the stakes are extraordinarily high.
These children have already experienced trauma and family separation, making them entirely dependent on the state’s promise of protection and care. The failure of that promise in KJ’s case demonstrates why robust oversight and accountability measures are essential.
Family’s Search for Justice
Attorney French revealed that three weeks after KJ’s death, no one from either the state or county human resource departments had reached out to the grieving family.
“Had he been with his parents, nothing like this would have ever occurred,” French previously told media, highlighting the cruel irony that the foster care system designed to protect KJ ultimately failed him.
Stewart, who did not have custody of KJ at the time of his death, now serves as the personal representative of her son’s estate in pursuing the wrongful death claim.
Preventing Future Tragedies
KJ’s death represents a preventable tragedy that resulted from multiple system failures. The lawsuit seeks not only compensation for the family but also accountability that might prevent similar incidents in Alabama’s foster care system.
Critical reforms might include enhanced training requirements for contractors, real-time tracking systems for children in state care, mandatory check-in protocols, and improved background screening of contracted personnel.
As this wrongful death lawsuit proceeds through Alabama’s courts, it serves as a painful reminder that children in foster care deserve the highest level of protection and care.
Let Justice Roll
If your family has been affected by negligence involving government contractors, child welfare systems, or wrongful death in Alabama, the experienced attorneys at Baxley Maniscalco are here to help.
We understand the complex legal challenges these cases present and the sensitive nature of cases involving children.
Located in Oxford, Alabama, our team has extensive experience handling wrongful death cases, government liability claims, and complex matters involving multiple defendants.
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